With March Madness around the corner, you have to start wondering who's gonna win the championship. Do you partake in filling in a bracket? Which team do you think is most likely to win it all? Besides being a top seed, what are the most crucial elements for a team to make a run? How do YOU predict how far they will go?
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2695705-ncaa-tournament-2017-early-predictions-championship-odds-for-march-madness
It's officially march, folks. Get pumped!
Having watched March Madness every year for as long as I can remember, it has become pretty apparent over the years that there is almost no reliable way to predict the winner. With millions of millions of ways to fill out a bracket, the possibilities are endless. However, in my opinion, the most important aspect for a team to make a run is their chemistry. If a team has the comradery to work together and make a comeback, they have a much better chance to win it all than a team of all-stars that can't work together. The best example of this teamwork was actually in the Superbowl when Brady (now the official GOAT) led the Patriots to the greatest comeback in Superbowl history using teamwork on top of his incredible skill. The Falcons, on the other hand had a few stars like Julio Jones who couldn't carry their team to the win.
ReplyDeleteFilling out a bracket is just like drafting my fantasy football team. It is a very exciting part of my march. I am looking forward to filling it out like I have been the past few years. I think they're a bunch of teams that have the talent to win it all. I haven’t watched a ton of games this season but from the article I think Kansas has the best shot of winning “If you can't decide on the ultimate sleeper this year, feel good about Kansas” and of course Villanova also has a big shot because they won it all last year. I think for a team to make a run, they need to play as one team and keep it close until the final minutes and pull away. I know it's harder done than said. I also think momentum is a big part of getting far in the tournament. March Madness is always a entertaining tournament that everyone should watch.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Matt. When talking about March Madness it is almost impossible to fill out a bracket knowing who is going to win. However, I find that the best way to predict which teams are going to win is evaluating a mix of both the team's talent level and their overall chemistry and work ethic. Every year teams who are very low ranked beat top teams not because they are more talented, but because they play better together as a team. As a spectator it is so hard to predict who is going to win because there is no stat sheet that will tell you which team has great chemistry. It is so difficult to make a perfect bracket that a couple of years ago Warren Buffet offered a billion dollars to the person who entered his competition and submitted a perfect bracket. Not one person made it past the round of 16 with a perfect bracket. For these reasons I think it is pretty typical that someone will pick their favorite team to win it because it is really way too hard to predict who the winner will be.
ReplyDeleteI remember watching my first march madness a few years ago and seeing a crazy buzzer beater. Since then, it is something that I am constantly looking forward too. I do not follow college basketball closely throughout the season. However as it gets closer to the tournament I will start to look at articles such as the one that is posted on this thread. The most crucial elements for a team to make a run is for them to have atleast a few returning starters from the pervious year. This veteran rotation can be found in Villanova. They are the reigning champions and will come into this tournament with a chip on their shoulder. In order to play good, you have to feel good as a team. The 2 most important attributes is team chemistry and explosive basketball.
ReplyDeleteI only got interested in March Madness a few year ago when the college my brother attends locked in a spot in the tournament. I’ve made a bracket before but I never got that into it to keep up. From past experience myself and what I know from people who are really involved is that the top seed teams by no means are definite winners. I have heard a lot that people who don’t know anything about the teams have better brackets than those who do a ton of research prior. However, I agree with a lot of the other comments that the most important elements for teams are chemistry and consistent, reliable players to get them far.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most time that I ever watch any sport is basketball during March Madness with the feeling of safe"Gambling" and the energy of competitive throughout friend groups. Every year I make a bracket because it doesn't get any better than watching upsets in college sports and last second shots that can make a person go from winning the groups bracket to last place. Last year during the championship game, Villanova vs UNC, it was one of the most memorable and exciting games that I have ever watched with UNC Marcus Paige tying the game on an amazing three and with less than three seconds left, the power forward for Villanova clutched the three for the win. I have huge beliefs in UNC as one of my top selections, proving to Duke last weekend that they are still a powerhouse and if there guard gets hot, he made 5/5 threes in the first half alone. Duke with Grayson Allen's injury, hurting his left ankle, they cannot rely on the freshman Luke Kennard throwing up random shots and miraculously making them. Kansas and Kentucky have habitually been ranked the top seed over the last years and Louisville and Arizona are continuously the 2 seed. The thing about March Madness is that these seedings/ranks do not matter, the 2 seed can loose first round, the 8 seed can win it all, so there is always an upset bracket that turns into the winning bracket. Teams that can make a run are the 5-8 seeds because they play evenly matched teams until the elite eight, when they will have to play either the top seed on the top half or the 2 seed on the bottom half if they make it that far. I believe that like always, a team that only the people going to that college picked to win will make a run, but ending up loosing and destroying underdog dynasty.
ReplyDeleteAs an avid march madness fan, I am extremely excited to watch the tournament this year as like the article said, the top teams are only separated by a small margin. This meaning the big dance is not only going to be action packed, but dramatic too. I do fill out a few brackets, some with friends and then of course staples big dance bracket. This year I would love to see Bryce Alford and Lonzo Ball and the UCLA bruins win the championship, I mean who wouldn't want someone with the same name to win. Ranked third in the nation it isn't unrealistic to say I would like to see them win, but like the article mentioned it really is just a winner take all every game, this team is going to want to win. I think the crucial element to making a run in the dance is that the team needs to have good chemistry, playing without knowing your teammates is a disaster and these teams need to be tight knit if they want to win.
ReplyDeleteFilling out a bracket has been a staple of my childhood, and helped me get into the sport of basketball. My dad tells me stories of when he would wake me up at night with his screams directed at the UConn March Madness on TV. As I've grown older I've become an avid follower of both NCAA and NBA basketball, and partake in most fantasy sports and I am admittedly maybe a tad obsessed. Brackets are the best part of college basketball, and adds an extra interest to March Madness and incentive to watch certain games. I personally would love to see a team like Villanova or Gonzaga win, who are clean programs without "One and done" players and recruiting violations.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not partake in filling out a March Madness bracket. I have not watched or followed enough college basketball to make an educated prediction for the champions. In the past, I tend to copy predictions that are similar to those of official predictions from sports professionals, even though they are not always right. Besides being a top seed, the elements that make a teamwork are team chemistry, their record, and determination.
ReplyDeletePersonally I never have taken part in filling out March Madness brackets. I don't know enough about college basketball to make an informed response to these questions, but I consider skill, history, team dynamic and determination all factors that play into a team's ability to win.
ReplyDeleteI started watching march madness a few years ago and ever since I've been hooked. I enjoy taking part in making brackets and going head to head against friends and people in the school. As the tournament gets closer it gets harder and harder to predict a winner. As the article said there are a lot of high quality teams with stand out players who could lead their team to the championship. For example UCLA with Ball and a lot of other players. The tournament also has the possibility of major upsets that could ruin any team at any point. The key things for a team to go far are staying positive, have a winning mentality, and be a constant team with shooting and defense. When predicting the tournament I look at stats and match ups to choose who will go far in the end.
ReplyDeleteMarch Madness is easily one of my favorite times of the year. The energy that surrounds it and the storylines that go with it are always nothing short of amazing. Obviously, with my excitement for watching March Madness comes the excitement for filling out the brackets. The brackets are extremely entertaining because of the personal element that it adds to the tournament. The brackets turn basketball competitions into entertainment by which you get to choose who wins based on your opinions and get to compete against your friends. This year, the team that I predict will win is the University of North Carolina. The factors that I take in when deciding who will win come from a wide variety of topics. The first obvious thing to look at is their record. Usually, the team that wins was at least somewhat good during the regular season. Some of the other factors that I think are really important are coaching and experience. This is why I think UNC has the best shot this year. a) their coach is one the best. Easily a hall of fame with a ton of experience b) the team has many seniors who have been playing for almost 4 years and have actually played in a national championship game. These factors all play a key role in how far a team goes in the tournament, and that is why I choose UNC.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteEvery year I can't wait for march to come. It is a time where I am so focused on college basketball that nothing else matters for that week. I do many brackets for fun, and for money. We also do a family bracket in my house for bragging rights and other things which are decided every year. I think duke has a chance of winning it all. I understand they are a 4 seed but I think they are deep enough to make a run. They have experience in tough games, and players that can take over a game at any moment. I think a key characteristic to make a run is having older players who are used to big games, and having heart. In march any team can beat anyone, and that is why it is so much fun to watch. Another thing a team needs to have is a great coach. Coach K is hands down the best college basketball coach ever, as he passed 1,000 career wins as a coach recently. Since duke is a 4 or 5 seed I think they do the unthinkable and win. People will say its not a big deal because its duke, but if they end up winning after losing 7 games that is remarkable.
I have been watching March Madness for a long time and every year I get a little smarter about who to pick for every round. As most people would on their first year of filing out the bracket,I would pick the higher seeds to move on to the further rounds. Obviously, that did not end well. I think that the winner for this year's tournament will be North Carolina. I think that with experienced players like Justin Jackson and Kennedy Meeks will be able to lead their team to the championship. Personally, I think that the ACC is one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA. With teams like Duke, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Virginia who are all top 25 teams, beating all 4 teams has been a huge accomplishment. If they can beat the best in the country, they should be able to win the tournament.
ReplyDeleteI have never watched March Madness or made a serious bracket, so I don't know anything about it except for it's at the college level and the NCAA is involved. I think the brackets can really make the games more exciting, being that you're on the edge of your seat trying to see if your prediction is going to come true. But for any team to become the top it takes more than having players who can shoot the ball and make it in the hoop. Part of what makes a team a great team is the ability to work together. Team chemistry is one of the most important things that a team needs to function. Being that a team is suppose to run like a family, imagine that none of the family members bonded. You could have a male figure, a female figure, and children all sharing the same last name but that doesn't make them a family. It just means they are related, but when they bond TOGETHER and work TOGETHER, that's when the family is born. There needs to be chemistry for the family to bond. So that what I think is the most important element for the team to win. The team I think will take it all (based all on the article because I don't know a thing about basketball), is Kansas. They have a 26-3 record and have "Josh Jackson, who looks to be a top-five pick in this year's NBA Draft". So being that they have a 26-3 record and some good players maybe they will be champions.
ReplyDeleteI have never paid attention to March Madness as basketball is nothing compared to the excitement of other sports. Personally, I just hate basketball. So no, I don't think about who is going to win the championship and no, I don't make brackets. If I had to choose a team to win it all, I would choose Kansas, because the site says so (I really have no idea about this stuff so don't question my logic). Being the top seed in any sport makes absolutely no difference, so I don't understand why that's part of the conversation, as any team can beat anyone. The biggest question is: Who's hot at the right time? It's really all about luck. How do you pick a team? Well I would just go with my gut, but I'm sure some people go into a very deep analysis of this stuff which I could not care less about.
ReplyDeleteI always love partaking in March Madness brackets, usually entering multiple pools with different scenarios. Although it may sound like a cliche, I tend to look at a team's heart and guts when I look at a potential winner. For example, even though Arizona is a top-ranked team, I would not put them in my Final Four as they have not been able to close tough games, and have been blown out by ranked teams such as Oregon and UCLA. I would also stay away from a team like Gonzaga, as they rarely face tough competition in their small conference, and withered away against a tough team in BYU. However, this does not mean I don't pick front runners to win championships, as their ranking does hold some merit to their potential to win. A good example of this would be UNC, who the article states as having 6/1 odds to win the National Championship. The Tar Heels have guts, heart, and have been historically successful under Roy Williams in tournament games. After their gutsy win against Duke on Saturday, I will likely pick them as my winner in most of my brackets. Not only do they have the talent - but they also have the stability (unlike Duke) to make a run.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy filling out my many march madness brackets. I've had my ups (once going perfect on the first couple of days) however, my bracket is usually busted within the first few hours of the tournament's start. When evaluating a potential winning team, you have to look at credentials. How many top 25 teams have they beaten, how much momentum does a team have coming into the tournament itself etc. I don't believe that a team necessarily needs to have experience in order to do well, as evidenced by Kentucky almost every year. However, a team does need to have a standout player or players that can take their team to the next level and give them that much more of a chance to win every game. My two favorite teams right now to win it all would be Kansas and (a gutsy call perhaps) UCLA. Kentucky has a perfect combination of veteran leadership and young talent who can grind out a win seemingly at will. As for UCLA, they have the countries most versatile player in Lonzo Ball, who may very well wind up being the number 1 overall pick in this year's draft. While UCLA is less experienced, they do have the skill, and the heart to go all the way this March.
ReplyDeleteI love everything about March Madness. Filling out brackets and competing with friends is very exciting and entertaining for me and enjoyable to do. Ever since around 6th grade I have gotten really into watching as many games as I can. Although I don't follow the regular season very closely, I do love to do research and understand what each teams pros and cons are coming into the tournament so I can make a well informed bracket. I predict Kansas to win it all. Usually I hate to go with a number 1 seed because that's who everyone picks and I love upsets, however I think this team is the real deal. Led by Frank Mason lll, this team just has great chemistry and that is a huge factor in this tournament if a team wants to the win the championship. I think if they keep playing the way they are playing, it's going to be very tough to beat them.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am not a big fan of basketball. I do not enjoy the sport compared to other people, but I do enjoy March Madness and usually participate in filling out a bracket. Since I rarely watch the regular season I usually get information about teams from other people because I don't really do the research. I predict Kansas city to win it all not just because they are the number one seed but due to me hearing good things about them from many people. I think the most crucial things for a team to have to win it all is of course a great team, but also a great team that can work well together. For every sports including basketball I find coordination a key element for a winning season.
ReplyDelete